Playback and Recording 3 Chapter

Notes

The color temperature display that appears after white balance adjustment is calculated on the basis of the R/G/B signal output from the camera. It may not agree with the results of measurement by commercially available color temperature meters. The camcorder’s color temperature display should be regarded as an approximation.

If the camera has a zoom lens with an automatic iris, the iris may hunt 1). To prevent this, adjust the iris gain knob (indicated as IG, IS, or S) on the lens.

For details, refer to the lens operation manual.

1)Hunting: Repeated brightening and darkening of the image, resulting from repeated response to automatic iris control.

If the automatic white balance adjustment cannot be made

If the white balance adjustment cannot be completed normally, an error message will appear for about 3 seconds on the viewfinder screen.

Error message

Meaning

AWB: NG

The white video level is too low. Either

LOW LEVEL

open the lens iris or increase the gain.

 

 

AWB: NG

The color temperature is too high.

COLOR TEMP

Select a suitable setting for the 5600K

HIGH

button.

 

 

AWB: NG

The color temperature is too low. Use

COLOR TEMP

the 5600K button for proper setting.

LOW

 

 

 

AWB: NG

Adjustment could not be completed

TIME LIMIT

within the standard number of

 

attempts. Try to adjust again. If

 

adjustment fails a few times, contact

 

your Sony dealer.

 

 

AWB: NG

The white area could not be checked.

POOR WHITE

 

AREA

 

 

 

AWB: NG

The white video level is too high. Either

OVER LEVEL

stop down the lens iris or change the

 

ND filter.

 

 

If any of the above error messages is displayed, retry the white balance adjustment. If the error message occurs repeatedly, contact your Sony dealer.

If you have no time to adjust the white balance Set the WHITE BAL switch to PRST.

The white balance is automatically set as follows, depending on the state of the 5600K button.

5600K button lit: 5600K

5600K button not lit: 3200K

About the white balance memory

Values stored in memory are held until the white balance is next adjusted.

There are two sets of white balance memories, A and B, which you can switch between with the WHITE BAL switch (PRST/A/B).

On the WHITE SETTING page of the MAINTENANCE menu, when WHT FILTER INH is set to OFF, there are two memories, A and B for each position of the ND filter of this unit (CLEAR, 1/4 ND, 1/16 ND, and 1/64 ND).

In this case, the memory is switched as you change the ND filter position, for a total of eight (4×2) memories.

If a memory error occurs

If the error message “: STORED DATA: NG” flashes on the viewfinder screen when the camcorder is turned on, the white balance memory contents have been lost. Adjust the white balance again. Contact your Sony dealer if this message continues to appear even after the white balance has been adjusted again.

Using the ATW (auto tracking white balance) function

By using the ATW function, the white balance is adjusted automatically when the lighting conditions change.

Note

Depending on the shooting conditions, the white balance may not always be correctly adjusted automatically. To get a precise white balance, it is recommended to use the WHITE BAL switch.

Turning the ATW function on using the WHITE BAL switch

1 On the WHITE SETTING page of the MAINTENANCE menu, set WHITE SWITCH <B> to ATW.

2 Set the WHITE BAL switch to the B(ATW) position.

This turns the ATW function on, and the white balance is now adjusted automatically to respond to changes in the lighting conditions.

Turning the ATW function on using an ASSIGN switch

1 On the ASSIGNABLE page of the USER (or OPERATION) menu (see page 141), set one of ASSIGN 1 to ASSIGN 4 to ATW.

2 Press the ATW-assigned switch.

This turns the ATW function on, and the white balance is now adjusted automatically to respond to changes in the lighting conditions.

56 Recording – Basic Operations